1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tray apparatus, and more particularly, to tray apparatus having a plurality of compartments separated by a hand hold portion and includes additional tray components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various designs have been developed over the years for tray apparatus. In the following paragraphs, various patents are discussed. The patents are described in two separate categories, one category for design patents and one category for utility patents.
The following thirteen United States patents are all design patents. The drawing Figures disclose various embodiments of compartmented serving trays for food items and/or beverage items. It will be noted that all of the patents are single element patents. That is, while the patents may include several compartments, and some of the compartments may be designed specifically to receive beverage containers or the like, the trays themselves are unitary elements, unlike the apparatus of the present invention. The apparatus of the present invention includes several elements, and which elements may be selectively used with a base element.
The thirteen design patents are as follows:
______________________________________ Des. 145,764 V. Zelov Oct. 15, 1946 Des. 148,419 C. Jacobsen Jan. 20, 1948 Des. 177,073 R. Smith March 6, 1956 Des. 199,991 C. McManamey Jan. 5, 1965 Des. 200,654 A. Scott March 23, 1965 Des. 218,351 S. Nestegard et al Aug. 11, 1970 Des. 214,641 I. Malakoff July 8, 1969 Des. 227,851 F. Nowland et al July 24, 1973 Des. 251,102 T. Box Feb. 20, 1979 Des. 255,968 D. Shack July 22, 1980 Des. 270,506 G. Thorne Sept. 13, 1983 Des. 278,015 L. Lasco March 19, 1985 Des. 291,957 K. Stevens Sept. 22, 1987 ______________________________________
The following utility patents are discussed in individual paragraphs.
U.S. Pat. No. 951,114 (Clark et al) discloses a tray which includes two portions secured together to define a complete tray. The tray includes a double bottom, with finger apertures extending through the false bottom portion of the double bottom which allow the tray to be carried and easily balanced by a single hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,565,952 (Phillips) discloses an ice cream cone server tray which includes a flat portion and a stand portion. The stand portion is secured to the flat portion and extends downwardly from it. The flat portion includes a handle at one end for carrying. The flat portion also includes a plurality of apertures which receive ice cream cones.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,778,425 (Maddocks et al) discloses another type of ice cream cone carrier. The ice cream cone carrier includes a flat handle and a pair of outwardly extending flanges, and apertures extending through the flanges receive ice cream cones. A number of the carriers may be secured together to carry more than two cones.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,885,483 (Samuelson) discloses an elliptically shaped tray with depressions for receiving various items or articles. The apparatus also includes slots for receiving eating utensils.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,953,933 (Gundelach) discloses a circular tray having an outer rim. The tray portion includes a slot through which the thumb of a user extends. The tray is gripped from below by a user's fingers and from above by the thumb extending through the aperture.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,302,446 (Kincaid) discloses a multiple level buffet tray having a pair of beverage receptacles at opposite ends of a tray and a hand extending arcuately from end to end.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,533,997 (Cochrane) discloses a cup carrying tray. Cutout apertures in the tray receive cups. The cutout portion of two of the apertures fold up to comprise a carrying handle for the tray apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,191 (Cramer) discloses a tray designed to fit onto a user's lap. The tray includes a bottom portion and an upper portion. Apertures through the upper portion receive plates, beverage containers, etc. The bottom portion of the tray slopes to conform to the anatomy of a user's lap so that the top portion will remain relatively flat. The apparatus is made from a single blank, and is folded appropriately to comprise the tray apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,997,199 (Reachi) discloses a table ornament and standard. The apparatus includes a base with a central holding element extending upwardly from the base. The holding element includes fastener elements for securing the bottom of a candle holder to the base. The fastening systems include a threaded engagement between the candle holder and the base and a groove on the candle holder which mates with dimples in the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,425 (Cobb) discloses a cup, cone, or similar holder having a flat top and a pistol type holder grip. The top includes apertures for receiving cups, ice cream cones, or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,636 (Bloomquist et al) discloses a serving tray designed to be set or disposed on a flat surface. The tray apparatus is not designed to be held by the hand of a user. The tray apparatus includes a platform spaced upwardly from the surface on which it is disposed by downwardly depending walls. On the platform is a plurality of apertures or compartments which receive various elements such as plates, cups, utensils, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,226 (Schroeder) discloses a food serving device which includes a relatively large serving bowl with a smaller serving bowl detachably mounted to the relatively large serving bowl. The smaller serving bowl includes a groove extending upwardly from its bottom which allows the smaller serving bowl to be disposed on the upper portion of the wall of the relatively large serving bowl. The groove essentially comprises a notch which mates with the wall of the large serving bowl to hold the small serving bowl in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,031 (Pitts) discloses a tray designed for use in an automobile having bucket front seats and a back seat. The apparatus is designed to extend between the back seat and the front seat, and to be supported on the back seat and on the center front arm rest.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,649 (Nicholl) discloses a tray apparatus designed to be used by a child in encouraging the child to eat. The tray apparatus simply holds food and a beverage container. Two different embodiments are illustrated, a boat and a cottage. The apparatus is adapted to be disposed on a table, or the like. There is no provision for holding the apparatus in one hand of a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,286 (Perkinson) discloses a serving tray having a handle portion at one end of the tray. The handle portion includes an opening through which part of the user's hand extends for holding or supporting the tray. The handle is not designed to be grasped by a user's hand, but rather is designed to be a support portion that is disposed against a user's wrist or forearm for appropriate support.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,629 (McCabe) discloses a tray which supports a decanter and a plurality of cups disposed about the decanter. The tray includes a flat platform supported by legs, and appropriate apertures extending through the tray. The peripheral apertures for holding the cups are disposed adjacent to the legs, and the bottoms of the legs turn inwardly for supporting the bottoms of the cups. Similarly, there are downwardly extending "legs" with inwardly extending bottom flanges about the decanter holding aperture in the center of the tray so that the decanter is also supported upwardly from the surface on which the various legs rest.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,474 (Ng) discloses a utensil holder which includes three separate annular sections which are concentrically and coaxially aligned with each other. The elements lock together in a stacked relationship. The three elements each have different diameters, and the bottom of each element fits into an associated holding structure of the element beneath it.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,758 (Stevens), which incidentally, has the same design as included in the '957 design patent above, is a two-compartment tray separated by a hand hold portion. The hand hold portion includes a slot for receiving the user's thumb. The smaller of the two compartments includes a slot for receiving the stem of glassware.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,959 (Kleiner) discloses a combination of cup and plate holder. The apparatus is designed to be carried in or by a single hand, but there is no discussion in the specification as to how the apparatus is to be held. The apparatus essentially includes a flat, plate holding portion and a beverage holding portion. The bottom of the beverage holding portion is a continuation of the plate holding portion with walls extending vertically upwardly to hold a cup. The plate holding portion folds for storage purposes. Included in the apparatus is a clamp which may be moved vertically upwardly or downwardly, as desired, to hold an outer flange or edge of a plate so that the plate may be cantilevered outwardly from, but secured to, the plate holding portion.
British Pat. No. 1252761 (Deeley) discloses a lazy susan type apparatus in which there is a base element which holds a large tray rotatable on the base element. In turn, a plurality of relatively smaller dishes may be disposed in the circular dish.